Enhancement of bi-objective function model to master straight-line facilities sequences using frequency from-to chart

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
SHROUQ GAMAL ◽  
Mohamed K. El-Nemr ◽  
Ahmed M. El-Kassas

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the functional power of frequency from-to chart (FFTC) as an independent solution-key for generation optimal (exact) facilities sequences with an equal distance of straight-line flow patterns. The paper will propose a bi-objective function model based on the Torque Method then will turn it into a computer-based technique with a permutative manner using the full enumeration method. This model aims to figure out if there is a difference between the moment minimization and backtracking treatment. Furthermore, the proposed technique will measure the performance of related works from literature to numerically highlight their limitations. Design/methodology/approach The literature of related works provided two-principles assumed mastering material flow sequences. The researchers gathered and analyzed the three methods – used FFTC as an independent technique – mentioned in the literature then measured their performance with the proposed technique. The proposed technique is based on the computation of torque value using an enhancement of bi-objective function model then application a permutative approach with full enumeration methodology. The bi-objective function model used once to mimic the grand moment value of FFTC and again to study the reflection of minimizing the congestion of backtracking movements on the minimization of total transportation cost. Findings Based on the analysis of literature and comparative results of its three case studies using the proposed technique, it is found that: there are optimum facilities sequences with rich opportunities of exact pathway selection. Reduction methodology is an inefficient way to generate exact results. There is a gap between combining the minimization of the grand moment and the treatment of the backtracking problem. Research limitations/implications This study is one of the first contributions that discusses the assumption of integration between optimization moment value and its relation to treatment backtracking problem. Also, the illness of reduction methodology to reach optimal solutions. The further direction of this research will highlight the conjecture of searching the exact results for small size problems, analyzing the given data and its logical dimensions, developing logical rules for solving and verifying large size problems based on the exact results (The conjecture of P = NP). Originality/value This paper provides a detailed numerical analysis of the most common problems generally faced facility layout problems through understanding the lack of integration between moment minimization and backtracking minimization. Also, the inefficiency of reliance on reduction methodology either in scores of frequencies between facilities with weak relation or the number of permutations. Based on those findings, further study will search the logical philosophy exactly optimizing FFTC manually or without having to deal with a permutative approach for large size problems – which considered non-deterministic polynomial-time problem.

2014 ◽  
Vol 721 ◽  
pp. 539-542
Author(s):  
Cong Cong Liu ◽  
Yi Cai He ◽  
Chang Peng An

From the actual operation of the lock, respectively, with the objections to maximize utilization of the average chamber area and minimize average opening time and the product of the weight of the ship and minimize lock operating costs, it can make the use of AHP calculate the right target weight, so as to establish a multi-objective function model. Based on the constraints of each objection, it can be used improved ant colony algorithm for multi-site on the same river ship Joint operation, using MATLAB software for solving scheduling simulation, the results shows that the utilization and lock navigable levels have significantly improved . It proved this method can be used to optimize multi-site joint scheduling.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 820-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura H. Okagaki ◽  
Kirsten Nielsen

ABSTRACTThe human fungal pathogenCryptococcus neoformansproduces an enlarged “titan” cell morphology when exposed to the host pulmonary environment. Titan cells exhibit traits that promote survival in the host. Previous studies showed that titan cells are not phagocytosed and that increased titan cell production in the lungs results in reduced phagocytosis of cryptococcal cells by host immune cells. Here, the effect of titan cell production on host-pathogen interactions during early stages of pulmonary cryptococcosis was explored. The relationship between titan cell production and phagocytosis was found to be nonlinear; moderate increases in titan cell production resulted in profound decreases in phagocytosis, with significant differences occurring within the first 24 h of the infection. Not only were titan cells themselves protected from phagocytosis, but titan cell formation also conferred protection from phagocytosis to normal-size cryptococcal cells. Large particles introduced into the lungs were not phagocytosed, suggesting the large size of titan cells protects against phagocytosis. The presence of large particles was unable to protect smaller particles from phagocytosis, revealing that titan cell size alone is not sufficient to provide the observed cross-protection of normal-size cryptococcal cells. These data suggest that titan cells play a critical role in establishment of the pulmonary infection by promoting the survival of the entire population of cryptococcal cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Pekkaya ◽  
Nuh Keleş

PurposeConsidering the contribution of freight villages (FVs) to the economy and sector, transportation cost advantage, environmental externalities, labor costs, employment, etc. criteria evaluation is important in selecting FV location. Environmental sustainability and social dimensions are becoming important criteria for companies in logistics. The purpose of the study is to determine/model the criteria interaction and also determine the criteria priorities in the FV location selection process. Meanwhile, the study aims to evaluate these criteria and present information to researchers and decision makers.Design/methodology/approachSix main criteria and 29 sub-criteria are selected from related literature. Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is used for determining/modeling the criteria interaction and sketching interaction diagram, and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is used for determining the criteria priorities. One/two-way pairwise compared main/sub-criteria views are obtained from 48 experts for calculations.Findings“Trade potential”, “transportation networks” and “economic factors” have the highest priorities, respectively, out of six main criteria, and they have the most powerful interactions that put these criteria to the center of decision process. Sub-criteria of “foreign trade potential”, “proximity to the port”, “market opportunities” and “proximity to the railway” out of 29 have a total 36.42% priority, more than one-third of the importance.Originality/valueCriteria are evaluated in FV location selection for FV sustainability using criteria interaction diagrams, affecting/being affected by the level of each criterion and their priorities. This study shows a hybrid derivation from DEMATEL-AHP usage methods together. High-volumed and qualified/experienced expert group judgments in Turkey are evaluated.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Javad Fotuhi ◽  
Zafer Bingul

Purpose This paper aims to develope a novel fractional hybrid impedance control (FHIC) approach for high-sensitive contact stress force tracking control of the series elastic muscle-tendon actuator (SEM-TA) in uncertain environments. Design/methodology/approach In three different cases, the fractional parameters of the FHIC were optimized with the particle swarm optimization algorithm. Its adaptability to the pressure of the sole of the foot on real environments such as grass (soft), carpet (medium) and solid floors (hard) is far superior to traditional impedance control. The main aim of this paper is to derive the dynamic simulation models of the SEM-TA, to develop a control architecture allowing for high-sensitive contact stress force control in three cases and to verify the simulation models and the proposed controller with experimental results. The performance of the optimized controllers was evaluated according to these parameters, namely, maximum overshoot, steady-state error, settling time and root mean squared errors of the positions. Moreover, the frequency robustness analysis of the controllers was made in three cases. Findings Different simulations and experimental results were conducted to verify the control performance of the controllers. According to the comparative results of the performance, the responses of the proposed controller in simulation and experimental works are very similar. Originality/value Origin approach and origin experiment.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Carter ◽  
Amy Chu-May Yeo

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate similarities and differences between the UK and Malaysian undergraduates in terms of perceived social and emotional competencies (SEC), their effect on academic performance and to make recommendations on curriculum development or teaching and learning interventions to make students more SEC equipped for the “real” world. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a positivist approach via a survey instrument to measure the perceived SEC. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including standard multiple regression analyses, were used to test the hypotheses. Findings – The analysis highlighted specifically, individual competencies (e.g. conscientiousness) rather than competency domains. Striking differences were observed between the two data sets, e.g. the regression analysis revealed that among the UK students, “Self-Awareness” domain and “Service Orientation” competency contributed uniquely to academic performance. However, no significant results were found for the Malaysian students. Research limitations/implications – Using GPA scores for performance measurement is complex which might have the potential to affect the accuracy of the comparative results. Practical implications – The findings serve as a practical guide for education providers and employers which they could use to train young and inexperienced undergraduates and provides suggestions for education providers to “build in” specific intra- and interpersonal SEC in their assessment criteria and curriculum activities and modules. Originality/value – The transnational comparison helps to add a new dimension to support the paucity of the SEC effect on academic performance and suggests which specific individual competencies and which competency cluster to emphasise in two different institutions and countries.


Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 3373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziran Wei ◽  
Jianlin Zhang ◽  
Zhiyong Xu ◽  
Yongmei Huang ◽  
Yong Liu ◽  
...  

In the reconstruction of sparse signals in compressed sensing, the reconstruction algorithm is required to reconstruct the sparsest form of signal. In order to minimize the objective function, minimal norm algorithm and greedy pursuit algorithm are most commonly used. The minimum L1 norm algorithm has very high reconstruction accuracy, but this convex optimization algorithm cannot get the sparsest signal like the minimum L0 norm algorithm. However, because the L0 norm method is a non-convex problem, it is difficult to get the global optimal solution and the amount of calculation required is huge. In this paper, a new algorithm is proposed to approximate the smooth L0 norm from the approximate L2 norm. First we set up an approximation function model of the sparse term, then the minimum value of the objective function is solved by the gradient projection, and the weight of the function model of the sparse term in the objective function is adjusted adaptively by the reconstruction error value to reconstruct the sparse signal more accurately. Compared with the pseudo inverse of L2 norm and the L1 norm algorithm, this new algorithm has a lower reconstruction error in one-dimensional sparse signal reconstruction. In simulation experiments of two-dimensional image signal reconstruction, the new algorithm has shorter image reconstruction time and higher image reconstruction accuracy compared with the usually used greedy algorithm and the minimum norm algorithm.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Welly Sugianto ◽  
Elva Susanti

This research was conducted at UKM Jovelyn in Batam city. Jovelyn's UKM produces various kinds of cakes and is marketed in markets in Batam City. The UKM opened 4 branches and marketed its products to 7 markets in the city of Batam. Product distribution is still random and not properly regulated. This resulted in a very large transportation cost, up to 1/3 of the total production cost. This shows that product transportation is still not carried out effectively and efficiently. The transportation problem is converted into a mathematical form so that the problem can be solved by the transportation method. The transportation method aims to minimize the objective function which is a function of transportation costs. The transportation method is basically the same as the linear program where at each iteration a selection is made to enter the basic variabel and leave the basic variabel. There are several iteration methods, namely the northwest corner method, minimum cost method, genetic algorithm, Vogel's approximation method, minimum row method, Russell's approximation method and column minimum method. Previous research has shown that the Vogel's approximation method, and Russell's approximation method are more efficient and accurate. This study uses both methods and a sensitivity analysis is performed to optimize the calculation results. The sensitivity analysis aims to determine the extent to which the objective function constants and the constraint function constants can change Keywords: Transportation, Sensitivity, SME  


2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 265-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radovan Bulatovic ◽  
Stevan Djordjevic

This paper considers optimal synthesis of a four-bar linkage by method of controlled deviations. The advantage of this approximate method is that it allows control of motion of the coupler in the four-bar linkage so that the path of the coupler is in the prescribed environment around the given path on the segment observed. The Hooke-Jeeves?s optimization algorithm has been used in the optimization process. Calculation expressions are not used as the method of direct searching, i.e. individual comparison of the calculated value of the objective function is made in each iteration and the moving is done in the direction of decreasing the value of the objective function. This algorithm does not depend on the initial selection of the projected variables. All this is illustrated on an example of synthesis of a four-bar linkage whose coupler point traces a straight line, i.e. passes through sixteen prescribed points lying on one straight line. .


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farkhondeh Jabalameli ◽  
Ehsan Rasoulinezhad

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the similarities in the foreign trade patterns of China and the other BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) members. Design/methodology/approach Three panel data estimations, namely, fixed effect, random effect and fully modified ordinary least squares, have been conducted in this paper based on the gravitational model of international trade for bilateral trade of each BRICS member with five United Nations (UN) regional groups from 2001 to 2015. Findings The results revealed that Russia has a dissimilar trade pattern, based on the Heckscher–Ohlin (H-O) framework, with these five regional groups, while the other BRICS members follow the Linder hypothesis. Furthermore, it was found that China has a faster pace of globalization, while the rest of the BRICS members have experienced regionalization rather than globalization. In addition, geographical distance, as a proxy for transportation cost, has a weaker negative effect on the trade patterns of China and India, which makes the trade patterns of BRICS members dissimilar. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to examine and compare the BRICS member countries’ foreign trade pattern through a gravity trade approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mahdi Ershadi ◽  
Hossein Shams Shemirani

PurposeProper planning for the response phase of humanitarian relief can significantly prevent many financial and human losses. To this aim, a multi-objective optimization model is proposed in this paper that considers different types of injured people, different vehicles with determining capacities and multi-period logistic planning. This model can be updated based on new information about resources and newly identified injured people.Design/methodology/approachThe main objective function of the proposed model in this paper is minimizing the unsatisfied prioritized injured people in the network. Besides, the total transportation activities of different types of vehicles are considered as another objective function. Therefore, these objectives are optimized hierarchically in the proposed model using the Lexicographic method. This method finds the best value for the first objective function. Then, it tries to optimize transportation activities as the second objective function while maintaining the optimality of the first objective function.FindingsThe performances of the proposed model were analyzed in different cases and its robust approach for different problems was shown within the framework of a case study. Besides, the sensitivity analysis of results shows the logical behavior of the proposed model against various factors.Practical implicationsThe proposed methodology can be applied to find the best response plan for all crises.Originality/valueIn this paper, we have tried to use a multi-objective optimization model to guide and correct response programs to deal with the occurred crisis. This is important because it can help emergency managers to improve their plans.


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